Bowler&#39;s wrist support



Aug. 21, 1962 w. F. MEYER 3,049,717

BOWLERS WRIST SUPPORT Filed June 16, 1960 anon INVENTOR. WILLIAM E MEYER BYM ATTORNEYS hilt...

United States This invention relates to devices for improving control in bowling, vand is particularly concerned with providing an effective wrist support for bowlers,

For proper bowling, it is essential that the bowler maintain his wrist unbent, although the very nature of a balldelivery swing tends to enforce a bending action. Because of this tendency, all bowlers bend or break the wrist to some extent. Experts have learned to control such tendency to a high degree.

The tendency to brea the wrist is most pronounced when gravity and centrifugal forces combine at the bottom of the arc in both the backward and forward motion of a bowlers swing. Thus, it appears that this tendency varies through each swing due to the fact that the magnitude of these forces varies from swing to swing. This being the case, it can be easily appreciated why it is such a problem for a bowler to either overcome these forces tending to bend the wrist or compensate for same.

Principal objects of this invention, therefore, are to provide resistance against forces tending to bend or break the -wrist in bowling and to free the bowler from the problem of having to overcome such forces or of having to compensate for any bending of the wrist that does occur.

In achieving these objects, l provide a wrist support having resilient stiifening means adapted to span the back of the wrist substantially from lthe lower forearm to the knuckles of the hand. For placing such stiifening means properly with respect to the wrist, they are mounted in soft pliable material, `such as leather, having at one end a strap and buckle extension adapted to encircle the lower forearm, and having two mutual-ly spaced finger loops at the other end. The resilient stiifening means advantageously is in the form of two strips extending forwardly in divergent relationship from the lower forearm to the knuckle region of ythe index finger and to the knuckle region of the little :finger respectively.

A specific embodiment representing what is presently regarded as the best mode of carrying out the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

FIG. l represents a perspective view of ,the bowling hand and arm of a bowler about to deliver a ball onto a lane, the bowler wearing the wrist-supporting device of the invention;

FIG. 2, a plan view showing the inner face of the wrist support of FIG. l as extended iiatwise with the strap and buckle extension for the lower forearm spread out ready to receive the hand of a wearer;

FIG. 3, ka corresponding view showing the outer face;

FiG. 4, a longitudinal section taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5, a transverse section taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 3.

Referring to the drawing:

The bowler, whose bowling hand 8 and lower forearm 9 are shown in FIG. l, is wearing a wrist support 10 conforming to the invention. This enables him to resist forces tending to bend or break his wrist during delivery of the ball 11 and to `develop proper wrist control.

Wrist support is constructed and arranged to overlie the back of the hand and the wrist and to terminate in the lower forearm. It comprises a body portion 10a of flexible material, such as leather, and is adapted to be secured in place by means of finger loops 12 and -13 at the foreatent @i ice 3,949,717 Patented Aug. 21, 1962 ward end of such body portion and by la strap and buckle extension 14 at the rearward end of such body portion. The iinger loops are advantageously arranged to encircle the index and little iingers 12a and 13a, whi-le the strap yand buckle extension is arranged to encircle the lower portion of the bowlers fore-arm. In this connection, it should be noted that wrist support 10 does not encase the hand in a big mitt or cumbersome glove and does not present interference problems, since finger loops 12 and 13 are the only portions of the device which come in contact with the bowling ball. The bowlers thumb 15 is left entirely free for insertion in ball opening 15a and his second and third fingers 16 and 17, respectively, are also left entirely free for insertion in ball openings 16a and 17a, respectively, in customary fashion.

Wrist support 10 is stiifened to provide resistance against bending of the wrist by resilient stiifening strips 18 and 19 made of `spring steel. These are conveniently contained in respective pockets 20 and 21 formed by stitching 22 and the leather top layer 23 and leather bottom l-ayer 24 of wrist support 10. Pockets 20 and 21 and stiffly flexible resilient steel strips 18 and 19, which could be strips or i-mpregnations of any suitable resilient yet stiff material, lie in substantial-ly contiguous side by side relation in the strap and buckle extension 14. Strips 18 and 19 and their respective pockets 20 and 21 extend forwardly from extension -14 in divergent, substantially V relationship, to the knuckle region of the index finger 12a and the knuckle region of the little finger 13a, respectively. With this construction strips 1S and 19 span the wrist from the lower forearm 9 to the back of the hand 8.

Strap and buckle extension 14 is provided with straps 25 which are fastened in place as by stitching 26 and with buckles 27 which are mounted as by leather strips 2S and stitching 29. Straps 25 rand buckles 27 are used to fasten wrist support 1li around the forward portion of the bowlers forearm and finger loops 12 and 13` for fastening the support to the index and little fingers 12a and 13a respectively. Finger loops 12 and 13 may be leather or made of elastic material adapted for snugly fitting the base of respective fingers.

Wrist support 10 is `generally soft and pliable being made of leather or suitable soft and pliable plastic material with the exception of stiifening strips `18 and 19 `and buckles 27. Leather top layer 23 yand leather bottom layer 24, which are fastened together by stitching 30, advantageously form the body portion 10a of wrist support 10. This not only encloses stiffening strips '18 and 19 but also includes extension 14 equipped with the straps 25 and buckles 27 and is provided with extensions 32 and 33 to which finger loops f12 and 13 are mounted respectively as by stitching or rivets 34. Body portion 31 of wrist support 10 is indented to present a forward edge 35 in the form of a U between extensions 32 and 33 of the wrist support to provide clearance for the knuckle region of the second and third fingers 16 and `17 respectively. This insures unrestrained freedom for the second and third fingers in gripping the ball 11. In addition a felt liner 36 may be provided within the strap and buckle extension 14 for the bowlers -added comfort and convenience, if desired.

Whereas there is here illustrated and described a preferred construction which I presently regard as the best mode of carrying out -my invention, it should be understood that various changes may be made without departing from the disclosed inventive subject matter particularly pointed out `and `distinctly claimed herebelow.

I claim:

l. A wrist support, comprising a body portion of iiexible material adapted to overlie the back of a hand; a relatively narrow nger loop `at the forward end of the body portion adapted for receiving and encircling the index linger ofthe hand; a second relatively narrow finger loop at the forward end of the body portion in llaterally spaced relationship to the iirst linger loop such that it receives and encircles the little finger of the hand; an extension at the rear end of the body portion arranged for encircling the forward portion of the forearm in the region of the wrist; means for securing said extension in its encircling relationship with the wrist; and resilient stening means associated with said lbody portion and extending along the length thereof.

2. The Wrist support of claim 1, wherein pockets are provided for the resilient Astiiening means; and the resilient stitfening means comprise two stiiy exible resilient strips.

3. The Wrist support of claim 2, wherein said stifily exible resilient strips extend forwardly in substantially V relationship from substantially contiguous side by side relation in said extension.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,594,151 Chance July 27, 1926 2,154,|197 Callaway Apr. 11, 1939 2,447,328 Gerrits Aug. 17, 1948 2,563,724 Henry Aug. 7, 1951 2,707,283 Silver et al May 3, 1955 2,949,610 Lutsky Aug. 23, 1960 Vig@ 

